1. Related Applications and Inventions
This application is related to our U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,913 issued Sept. 12, 1978 and constitutes an improvement thereof.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fireplaces in general and more particularly to fireplaces which may be finally assembled as freestanding fireplaces, zero clearance fireplaces, see through fireplaces, four side glass panel fireplaces or three side glass panel fireplaces.
3. Description of the Prior Art
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a standard or universal prefabricated factory assembled fireplace that is capable of being finally assembled as a number of different fireplaces to standards which meet the fire insurance underwriters requirements when completed in any of the different number of fireplace configurations.
Numerous fireplace manufacturers provide standard lines of fireplaces which include all of the aforementioned fireplaces except four glass sided fireplaces. Heretofore, such fireplaces were designed for a single purpose and were not easily convertible from one fireplace configuration to another fireplace configuration without a major redesign or a custom design unit being built.
Our U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,913 shows and describes a freestanding heating unit of the type having a large number of glass panels in a non-zero clearance configuration. This patent also teaches it is possible to introduce a stream of clean air at the bottom of the glass panels which sweeps or cleans the interior surface of the thermal glass panels with air to prevent the deposit of unburned hydrocarbons on the glass. The purpose of the glass panels and the metal top and bottom portions of this heating unit serve to radiate heat to surrounding objects, thus, this unit cannot be installed close to any combustible wall or enclosure and may not be used as a zero clearance fireplace.
Our co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 06/927,744, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,322, shows and describes a zero-clearance direct vented gas fireplace which may be installed against an exterior wall of a room in an existing building or installed in a new building without requiring a separate chimney structure. All of the six walls of this rectangular prism shaped fireplace are provided with double air wall space having moving cool air circulated through the walls to provide cooling of the walls which is sufficient to enable the cooled walls to be installed adjacent a combustible floor or wall. The glass doors of this fireplace are also cooled and cleaned by combustion air to increase radiation efficiency but mainly to avoid smoking the glass panels in the doors which would detract from the brilliance of the fire and the aesthetic appeal of the heating unit.
Fireplaces manufactured heretofore, including our aforementioned fireplaces, are provided with walls, doors and panels which are assembled and screwed, bolted, welded or otherwise attached to the prefabricated sheet metal or steel in an interconnected unit so that any alteration or modification cannot be easily be accomplished. Similarly, the manner in which the prior art fireplaces are manufactured does not permit alteration or modification after the fireplace has been assembled on a production line. When the production of these prior art fireplaces reaches a quantity great enough to merit a dedicated production line, such prior art fireplaces can be made by cost efficient mass production methods. However, when such a fireplace must be modified to meet a special application the modification or custom alteration cannot be accomplished on a production line nor can the fireplace be made by high production cost efficient mass production methods.
Another problem associated with designing fireplaces for mass production cost efficient methods is that a dedicated production line ordinarily requires expensive tooling and unless the dedicated production line is employed at its optimal efficiency the cost of the units would be prohibitive. Accordingly, heretofore it has not been possible to produce specialty fireplaces or custom fireplaces for special decor requirements on high production low cost production assembly lines.
It would be extremely desirable to provide a universal fireplace which can be made by high production methods at low cost on a dedicated production line using low cost tooling to provide an assembly with as many as seven different fireplace configurations using the same basic fireplace assembly made on the mass production line for the different configurations.